Indexing means for record-books.



J. G. WISE. INDEXINO MEANS FOR RBOORD BOOKS. y

-APPLIUATION FILED NOV.12,1909.

LQQ. Patented July29,1913.

'4 OHEETSSHEET 2.

J. G. WISE.' INDEXING MEANS FOR'REGORD BOOKS.

APPLIOATON FILED NOV. 12, 1909.

Patented Tuly 29, 1913.

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WITNESSES:

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einen ierriinnrr Jenn e. Wiss. on nLsin, Insurers.

NEEXING MEANS FORR-ECGRD-BGKS.

Lessines.

\ i Speecatioii of Letters Patent.

' 'Eatented Joly 29 HMS.

Application tiled .'ovenioer 12, 1909. Serial No. 527,643..

' ticularly designed for high indexing of large records and that isparticularly adapted tor indexing ledgers, account books and the like,of, the loose-leattype.

A further object ot the invention is 'to provide an indexing meanswherein the advantages ot' a card index system are conibined with aloose-leaf record book.

My invention also has 'for its object to provide an index otthecharacter stat-ed whereby indexing' may be done by geographicaldivisions and sub-divisions, or by naine divisions, or both. and wherebythe' various types of indexing. (geographical division or name division)niay be brounht together in a singloloose-lear" volunie, it desired.

ln its generic nature my inventionl resides in combining with the usualalphabetical tabbed index sheets, special sheet indexes having suitablycollected indexing data and identification marks to cooperate with therecord sheet which has stepped tabs, (eitherrefer-ence being had to theaccompany'ing` drawings, in which:

Figure 1. is a plan open view or" a single State division section otarecord bool; embodying my invention, the binder and binding backsbeing' omitted, he first alphabetical division sheet beingy turned overandV parts of the various sheets heine: broken,

away. Fig. 2. is a plan iiew ot a special city section, the general"eity tab sheet being removed to expose the special State indesr sheet,the various sheets being spread out to disclose the various parts. Fig.is ai l'iew siinilarto Fig. 2.oi a inodiiication showing two specialcityv indei: sheets to the alphabet. Fig. el, is a plan'vieiv shows,ving;f asection of a boolr arranged for use in a single Statelwherein themaster ,guides are in cit-y divisions instead of Starte divi-A sions.Fig. 5, is a View similar to Fig. 4 with the Brown v orgeneral nanie tabsheet turned bach to expose the speoial naine indei: sheet. Fig. 6, is aplan View showing lthe application of iny inventionito date in-I deringNfor insurance expiration books and the like. Fig. 7, shows a modifiedmeans or" providing,- the record sheets with separable stepped tabs in.lieu of integrally formed ones, as in the foregoingy tornis of theinvention. Fig. 8, is a detail View onY a small scale ot' one ot thereeord sheets. 9, is a siniilai View of another of the record sheets.

Referring-now to the accompanying drawings in which like letters andnumerals of reterencc indicate like parts in allof the tigures. andreferring partioularly toiFig.- l it. will be obse `red that l providea. master guide sheet l which is provided with a inaster tab l, on whichis indicated the naine of a State, it being understood that as many oithese sheets l with their tabs la are used in the book as there areStates to .be recorded in such book, one only being shown in Fig. l ot'the drawings, and' that refers to the State ot (lhio.l A set of ininorguide sheets 2 are provided and these guides are provided with minortabs Q on which are printed the letters of the alphabet to torni a setof alphabetical guide sheets, it being understood that the sheets l and2 are usually blank sheets and are merely used as partition or guidesheets.l Following each ot the iiiinor guide sheets 2 a special indexsheet 3-is inserted, and this sheet is the essential feature ot myinvention. One sheet 3 follows the AMC tab guide sheet 2; one sheet 3follows the D-l` tab guide sheet 2; one sheet 3 follows the G-J tabguide sheet 2 and so on throughout' the alphabet. The'speeial indexsheety 3 is a geographical or town index sheet when the 4master guidesheet i a. State guide sheet.

indicated in Fig. ll of f understood that the s; with a suitable numberi, e,

figures running, j 5 and so on down `the sheet while Il the spat s 3fare provided with letters Agi-i, i :1 -M, .er-S, etc., down the sheet,the letters rit-A correspondingl to the number l andi so on, it beingunderstood that theJletters and spaces 3g run within the limits of the ielf-C portion 2a of the alphabetical index guides 2, likewise thespecial index sheet- 8 under the Ebel" division will have its s aces 3Kfilled withletters beginning with Ai and run on down the sheet tothesheet haw ingr letters G+J, etc.,.in Fig. l, as will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art. The sheet 3 is also dividedbetween the lines Bbw-3 by supplemental horizontal lines 3- to formdouble spaces 31halining with dicated in Fig. l, so that record sheetswhose tabs la bear the number l will aline with the number l in thespace 31 on the sheet 3 and ail those record sheets s; having tabsbearing the number 2 will have such number aline with the number 2 inthe space 3f in the sheet 3, and so on, as indicated in Fig. l of thedrawings. The tabs et ot the sheets Llv are preferably integrally formedwith the sheetby cuttingf away parts of the sheets to leave the tabsclearly shown in the drawings.

Suppose it is necessary to provide a record tor a person, say GeorgieAbraham of Aberdeen, i@hioz fis-the indexing is car* ried on bygeographical city divisions, the book-keeper opens the bilnby graspingthe A-C tab 2a, to expose the special index sheet 3 following the same,since the city Aberdeen comes within the AHC division. He then tairesinto consideration thesecond letter of the name of the city and ndsthat. theletter b l of Aberdeen is in the AA division in space 3g of'the special index sheet 3. A glance at the sheet 3 showsthat all citieswhose second letter lies between A and L inclusive, are to be indexedunder the division l, indicated in space 3f of sheet 3. Directing hiseye across the sheet 3, from left to right, the book-keeper finds thatrecorde of parties in the city ot" berdeen must be kept on record sheetsi having the stepped tabs 4 provided with the indexingl number l, hethen taires a. sheetlfrom stock,-

enters the account or record of the said George Abraham on such sheetand 1n- 'serts' the sheet i in the loose-leaf bock, ad-

ibeacea i" "s, it being jacent to the other sheets having the stepped 'fare provided j tab 4a bearing the number l.

lt frequently occurs that certain cities run strongin entries, z'. e.,there are sometimes a very large number ot' records to be made where theaddress of a large part of the recorded matter is in a sin le city andwhen this is thel case I provi e auxiliary minor tab sheets 2 that areprovided with auxiliary minor tabs 2" bearing the namelot the particularcity, such as Akron Dayton Geneva, etc., and follow this sheet' 2 withan auxiliary city index sheet 5 of similar form to the sheet 3, whichsheet 5 is inserted next following the auxiliary minor tabbed sheet 2that contains the auxiliary minor city tab 2b. The sheet 5 as providedwith vertical printed lines am" and herizontal lines 5 to divide thesheet at the right hand side into spaces 5C which carry the numbers l,2, 3, etc., and spaces 5 which carry the letters of the alphabet, A, B,(l, etc., as shown in Fig. 2, and the sheet may further be provided witha printed ruled portion 5f Whereon may be written the name of thepost-ottice to which the sheet 5 refers. l'Vhen a number of accounts inthe city et Akron, for example, is to be entered the boolekeeper liftsthe auxiliary tabbed sheetA 2, containing tlie auxiliary minorcity tab2b to expose` the auxiliary special city index sheet 5'. Hc then notesthe surname of the party whose recordiis to be entered; (say, forexample, the record of James Anden son of Akron, Ohio, is to beentered). The book-keeper, observing that the surname Anderson beginswith an A, knows that name is to be indexed on a record sheet numbered4, containing a tab f ,v bearing the number l as that number isindicated by the number l in the space 5C, opposite the letter A in thespace 5e of the sheet. 5. Surnames beginning with B would-be entered ona record sheet numbered 4- having a tab da on which the number 2 appearsand so on.' As certain cities run only slightly heavier in en tries thanother cities which are provided with the special index tabs 2b, l neednot provide for those by minor tab sheets with the tabs 2a, but mayenter the names of such cities in the proper spaces 31h-3k on thespecial geographical index sheet 3 that follows the alphabetical tabbedsheet 2. For example, suppose there are six entries to make under thetown of Barnesly and six under the town of Barnum, the book-heeperwrites the words Barnesly and Barnum in the spaces 3***91 to the left ofthe BAT space 3g on the sheet 3 and atlixes a small metal clip 4b inalinement with the word Barnesly to the lirst record sheet 4, in theBarnesly set of sheets and a small clip Li in alinement with the WordBarnum to the tirst of the Barnum set of tabs 4, as shown in Fig. .1, ofthe drawings. Thus should it he newness Y desired to find the name of,say, A; B. New- 3, (see F 1). He then `finds that the town of Barile isspecially indexed on the sheet 3 by an entry in the space '3h and thengrasps the clip 4b to aline with the word Barnesly and opens thebook atthat point, thus exposing the first of the Barnesly entries and he thenruns over the Barnsly entries which are found between the clips 1lb-4until the desired name is found. In the 'example just given the sheet 4would be the iirst sheet of the Barnesly set (see Fig.f 9).

The record sheets 4 may be provided with any suitable ruling or recordmatter as that is immaterial to my invention as the printi ing onfthesheets 4 will depend upon the use to which the book is to be put. tTliesheets 4, however, are usually provided with lines 4--4d upon which thename and address of the party whose record is to beV entered on therespective sheet, maybe Written.

Instead of using a single sheet 5 on which the entire alphabet isindicated, two or more sheets 3x-5y may be used in lieu thereof, seeFig. 3, and the alphabetical lettering for the spaces 5e may bedistributed equally over such sheets. In this case l attach 'a clip 6 toa blank sheet and insert such sheet in advanceof the second specialindex sheet 5y, the clip 6 having thereon letters to indicate the rangeor limit of alphabetical lettering on the sheet 5y that follows thesame, so that the book-keeper-may readily turn to the sheet v5y inmaking his entries or looking up accounts, as will be readily understoodby reference to Fig. 3, of the drawings. Each of the sheets 5-5"-5y maybe provided with ruled portions 5y on which the book-keeper may enterthe name of the respective city to which said sheet has reference. i

lVhen my invention is to be used in indexing books wherein the masterguides are city guides (see Fig.` 4,) I provide the master tab 1a withthe name of the particular city, instead of a State naine, as indicatedin the form shown in F ig. l, and provide minor guide tabs 2 withalphabetical tabs 2a, as before and follow each of the minor tabbedguides 2 with a special alphabetically arranged index sheet 8 to guidein entering names according to the surname of the customer, thesheet 8corresponding in -itsruling and numbering and lettering to thesheet 3and is provided with vertical ruled lines Sa-Sb-Sc and horizontallyruled lines 81-8e to provide spaces 8f8 h--813 as shown in Fig. 4.

When my invention is used for indexing names in a city, the name of thecustomer is not entered according to the geographical location of hisresidence but according to his surname, that is, all parties whosesurnames `sequence, that is, l

have the first two letters ranging between AA and AK, for example,` areentered o1: record sheets 4 having their tabs 4 providedwith the numberl, since the surnames whose first two letters range between AA and Alcorrespond to the division l in the spaces 8f on the sheet 8 and so onthroughout. W here the names -run excessively heavy, such as Brown forexample, an auxiliary minor tab guide 2 having an auxiliary minor tab 2bcontaining theparticular name (Brown) is inserted in the book,preferably inthe proper vorder With the alphabetical arrangement andfollowing such Brown l guide sheet Qta special na me indexv sheet t),corresponding in ruling and form to the sheet 5, is provided, this sheethaving vertically ruled lines 99lj and horizontal lines 9E to divide they'sheets into spaces SV W, the first set` 9 having numbers 1, 2, 3,etc., and the second sethaving alphabetical letters A, B, C, etc., asshown in Fig. 5 of thev drawing. in entering accounts un- Vder thissection, ofcourse, all of the'surander Brown." his record will be placedon,v a sheet havmg a stepped tab la, numbered l, as Alexander`7 beginswith an f Again, supposing a record for Henry Brown of Elgin, Illinois,is to be made, his

record is entered on a sheetg having a stepped tabla bearing the number6, as the names Henry begins with an I-l, and so on, the sheets beinginserted in their proper place in the loose-leaf book.

When it is desired to applv my inventidn to monthly index books forkeeping track of premium dates for insurances and the like I substitutein lieu of the` minor alphabetieal guide tabs 2, monthly guide sheets 2swhose tabs 2t are provided with indexes for the various months oftheyear, January, February, March, etc., as shown in Fig. tl, of thedrawing and following each of the tabbed sheets 2s, l insert a specialmonthly inde-a sheet 7 having parallel ruled lines 7a and preferablyhorizontally ruled lines 7e to divide thesheet into two or more columnsone of which forms a number col'- umn, containing the days of the monthin '2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ctc., and soon down the column. In applying this formof the invention the book-keeper writes the word January in the space 7eopposite the number l as that is the first month of the year and allinsurance premiums coming due on the rst of January are entered onrecord sheets 4 having a stepped tab 4*l bearing the number l; allinsurance coming due on January 2nd, therefore lwould be entered onrecord sheet 4 having stepped tabs, 4R, bearing the numbei' and so onthroughout the days otthe month. 'thus when it is necessary to notifypolicy holders, whose insurance comes duc on the litth ot diuiuary. thebook-keeper opens the book, by grasping the January-tab '2* to exposethe January special index sheet T and then grasping the leaves 4 at thetab number 5 he opens the bookV at thatl piace, thus exposing the tirstet the names or list ot names or otherr data which indicate that suchpolicies expire on that day. Similarly all policies expiring on any dayof any other month igl'ill follow. On the February sheet 7 the wordFebruary would he. entered in space 7" opposite the number as Februaryisthe second month in the year, and so on with the other months.

instead ot' proyiding the record sheets l with integrally stepped tabs4l they may be provided with removable clips a arranged in stepped form,as shown in Fig. 7. 'Itis not necessary in applying my invention toprint the numbers 1,9, 3, 4l, 5, etc., on the tabs 'i cron the clips aias the corresponding numbers in the columns on the special index sheetswill indicate that only those record sheets d whose tabs correspond inposition to the respective numbers are to be Vand one or all of thet'orms of my index may be brought together in a. single loose-leatIbook, it found desirable., and l do not limit mysellE to the exactarrangement, the essential feature of my invention being the provisionof the special index sheets in coniunct-ion with the'niinor tabbed guidesheets and the stepped tabbed record sheets.

ln practice the special index sheets are preferably of a different colorthan the record sheet.: and the -special index sheets are ot the samedimensions over all as are the record sheets exclusive of the tabs 4a.

The record sheets l are preferably indi' vidual sheets7 that is, therecord of only one individual `firm, corporation and association isentered on a sheet and the record that is to be entered on the sheetwill depend upon the particular use to which the book is placed. Forexample, it the sheets l are to be ordinary ledger sheets they will beruled as are ordinary ledger sheets to receii'e entries of moneytransactions. If they are to contain a record of: any other characterthey will be correspondingly ruled.

aan 1,069,092

Freni the foregoing description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings it is thought the complete arrangement, op'-eration and numerous advantages of my invention will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art to which the inventionappertains, and l desire to say that slight changes in the detailarrangement of parts and in the particular printing and ruling on thevarious sheets may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the appended claims.

i/Vhat l claim is:

l. As a means for keeping records, a plurality ot guides havingalphabetical tabs, record sheets between saidguides, said record sheetshaving tabs in stepped arrange'- xnent, a special index sheet for eachset of record sheets, said special index 'sheet having a column otidentification numbers, and said record sheet tabs having' likeidentification numbers, and said special in dex sheet having a column ofletters related to and parallel with said column of numbers,substzintially as shown and described.

2. As a` means 4tor keeping records, a plurality ot' guides havingalphabetical tabs, record sheets between said guides, said record sheetshaving tabs in stepped arrangemeut, a. special index sheet for each setot record sheets,.said special index sheet having a column ofidentification numbers and said record sheet tabs having likeidentification numbers, said special index sheet having a column otletters related to and parallel with said column of numbers, saidspecial index sheet having suitably ruled lines and spaces designated toreceive identilication names in column arrangement parallel to thecolumn of letters, and su plemental tab members secured to certain ofsaid record sheets to identify said sheets with the names in saidspecial index sheet spaces. l

3. As a means for keeping records, a plurality of guides havingalphabetical tabs, record sheets between said guides, said record sheetshaving tabs in stepped arrangement, a special index sheet for each setof record sheets, said special index sheets having a column ofidentification numbers, said record sheet tabs havinglike identificwtion numbers, said special index sheet having a lcolumn of lettersrelated to said co1- umn of numbers, all of said special index sheetsbeing of a distinctive color differing from that of said record sheets.

4. As a means of keeping records, a plurality of guide sheets having-alphabetical tabs, record sheets between said guides, vsaid recordsheets having tabs in v"stepped arrangement, a special index sheet foreach set of record sheets, said special index sheet having a column ofidentification numbers,

a said record sheet tabs having like dentiication numbers, said specialindex sheet having a column of letters related to said column of'numbers, said special index sheet having suitably ruled lines and spacesto receive identification names in column arrangement, supplemental tabmembers secured to certain of said record sheets to identify said sheetsWith the names in said special index sheet spaces, said special indexsheets being of a distinctive color differing from that of saidrecordsheets.

5. As a means for keeping records, a plurality of guides havingalphabetical tabs, record sheets between said guides, said record sheetshaving tabs in stepped arrangement, a special index sheet for each setoi'v record sheets, said special index sheets having a column ofidentification numbers, said record sheet tabs being in horizontalalinement With said identification numbers, said index sheet having acolumn of letters parallel to and related to said column of numbers,auxiliary guides having tabs bearing a word and a special index sheetfor each of said auxiliary guides of like form to said other specialindex sheets.

6. As a means for keeping records, a plurality of guides havingalphabetical tabs, record sheets between said guides, said record sheetshaving tabs in stepped arrangement, a' special index sheet for each setof record sheets, said special .index sheet having a column ofidentification numbers, said record sheet tabs being in horizontalalinement With said identification numbers, said index sheet having acolumn of letters parallel to and related to said column ofnumbers,.auxiliary guides having tabs bearing a Word, a special indexsheet for each of said auxiliary guides of like form to said otherspecial index sheets, said rst mentioned special index sheets being of adistinctive, color differing from that ofl said record sheets and saidauxiliary special index sheet being of a color differing from that ofsaid first mentioned special index sheets.

7. In a loose-leaf record book, a master tabbed guide, and a pluralityof alphabetical tabbed guides therefor, and auxiliary minor tabbed Wordguides, said auxiliary guides subdividing the subject-matter of saidmaster guides, record sheets interposed between adjacent ones of saidguides, a special index sheet interposed between each adjacent pair ofguides, each of said special index sheets having numerical andalphabetical identification marks for the record sheets that coperatetherewith, the record sheets having stepped tabbed portionsprovidedvwith identification marks like those of' said special indexsheet.

8. In a loose-leaf record book, a set of individual record sheets eachhaving projecting tab portions, the tab portions of the set beingarranged in steppedl formation, combined with a special index sheethaving printed thereon a column of identification marks along one edgeadjacent to and related to the stepped tab portions of said set ofrecord sheets and having a second column of identification lettersparalleling the column of' identication marks and coop-- .eratingtherewith, substantially as shown and described.

9. In a loose-leaf record book, a special index sheet having a bindingedge and having a column of figures printed along the edge Aopposite thebinding edge and having a second column of letters paralleling thecolumn of figures and related ,thereto and a set of record sheetscomprising a series of identification tabs, each one of' the seriesbearing an identification mark in alinement with a relatedidentification mark on the index sheet, substantially as shown anddescribed. j

v.10. As a means for keeping records, a pluality of guides havingalphabetical tabs,

record sheets between said guides, said record sheets having tabs 1nstepped arrange-v ment, a special index sheet for each set of recordsheets, said special index sheets having a column of identicationnumbers, said record sheet tabs having like identification numbers, saidspecial index sheet having a column of letters related to said column,of numbers.

JOHN G. WISE.

VWitnesses s A Y LYMAN lt. BAYARD, Gr. A. Rowe.

